Discussion Boards!

Key practices for vibrant, engaged student participation.

Discussion Boards!

Key practices for vibrant, engaged student participation.

Student communication is vital!

Discussion boards are the heart of online learning; they create new perceptions, allow for varying perspectives, suit multiple different learning styles [1], and allow for the participation of students who have difficulty expressing themselves in real-time situations [2] -- but only if the instructor creates the right atmosphere. Not only does participation in online discussions reduce students’ sense of isolation (which can cause poor performance or even dropping out), but the more that students participate, the better their chances are for course completion and good grades [3].

Instructors must participate but not dominate discussion.

Without instructor feedback some students will lose motivation and others will feel unsafe [4], while overall participation and critical thinking will decrease, and egalitarian possibilities will be lost. But if instructors say too much, student participation will decrease [5], so respond briefly.

make small groups

students participate more in groups of 6-11 students [6, 7]; dividing the class into multiple discussion boards is best. Name the group & give shared assignments!

ask intriguing questions

Ask specific (not abstract) questions which require students to evaluate the validity of their ideas, creatively solve a problem, compare, predict, or explain [5]; make sure a complex answer is required. Controversial is good [8, 9]!

keep it short and informal

create a separate topic for each question so that responses flow more naturally, and ask for short, informal, thoughtful answers [5].

make small groups

students participate more in groups of 6-11 students [6, 7]; dividing the class into multiple discussion boards is best. Name the group & give shared assignments!

ask intriguing questions

Ask specific (not abstract) questions which require students to evaluate the validity of their ideas, creatively solve a problem, compare, predict, or explain [5]; make sure a complex answer is required. Controversial is good [8, 9]!

keep it short and informal

create a separate topic for each question so that responses flow more naturally, and ask for short, informal, thoughtful answers [5].

Ideas for Assignments!

Students, create questions which challenge the author of the assigned material or challenge the class [5]. post your reactions to the material and explain how it changed your thinking [10].post an image that represents an aspect of the material and explain how it relates [6].write your opinion of the topic before it is studied, and then analyze it after you have learned more about the topic [1].

Grading

Grades are the clearest way to illustrate the importance of discussion for learning [10], and it is suggested that discussion boards equal at least 25% of the course grade [1]. Ideas for grading methods: per post on a completion basis, per set of posts on a completion basis, by quality of writing, by number of legitimate references, or by comprehensiveness of solutions, or some combination of these into a defined rubric [10].